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Monday, June 18, 2012

Moktars!

The party now has two henchmen, a pair of young Moktars who have been indentured to Huxley (the party don't yet realize that they're paying the Moktar mob to hire the henchman) and I've been having a bit of fun with the idea of Moktar magic. Moktar are slightly goofy savages, generally lacking dexterity and making it up in strength.

Moktar cuisine leaves much to be desired (Some guy from the comics)

This is Pat from Henchman Abuse's first draft of the class, and it hits the high points. I assume that the next installment of ASE will have full details.

My own shamanistic modifications of Moktardom as well as the stats for the two Moktars hired by the party are below.

Moktar
are basically barbarians: 2HD to start, High Str, Low dex, light armor (max
studded leather or non-metal scale) and natural AC 6. . High-level Moktars (Say 4 and up) might be able to
wear specially made metal armor, but plate will only bring the average Moktar (Dex 8) to a 4 AC and chain will do nothing for them. I've decided that Moktars get -2 to int as well, but maybe that's not necessary. Moktars are both tough brutal combatants and
bumbling!

I
have allowed a special class for the rare Moktars that can work
savage shamanistic magic – it's arcane magic, but terribly
ritualized and the spells are limited to a special hard to find list. These Moktar “Holy Toms”
gain XP as Elves, rather than Dwarves, but are limited to five levels
in Magic (i.e. they will get a single 3rd
level spell eventually – that's it). The class requirement is the same as Moktar 13 STR plus 13 INT (after reduction) they are also limited to
wielding 'traditional' non-metal melee weapons, though they can throw clubs or stone axes. Holy Toms cast as magi-users off of a limited spell list and gain spells at the same
rate. I figure that it's pretty hard for Moktar characters (or henchmen) to find new spells, because they can't cast regular magic-user spells and getting the rare Moktar shaman to teach one (they can be written in string ciphers but are usually oral tradition) is pretty difficult. The two Moktar youth's stats and three Moktar spells are below

GreyMol:
AC 5, HP 10

STR:15 INT:16 WIS:14 DEX:8 CON:10 CHR: 12

Spells: Twine
of History, Bird's Vision, Ancestral Claws (He's
a prodigy - Holy-Toms get 1 spell in their 'book' to start and 1 spell
extra per “bonus” point in Int. Greymol has the max.)

Leather Armor, Shield, Mace (1d6+1), Bone Hand Axe (1D6)

Gurgur: AC 5, HP 17

STR:18 INT:9 WIS:8 DEX:8 CON:15 CHR: 9

Studded Leather Armor, Shield, Scimitar (1D8+3), Hand Axes (1D6) (x3)

Moktar Spells.
Moktar Spells are unique, they have no spell books and cannot be
taught to non-Moktars (though if a mage has the opportunity to study
a Moktar Holy Tom casting a spell, there is a 25% chance that the
mage can learn enough to figure out a counterspell next time).
Moktars use knotted strings in lieu of spell book, with arrangements
of knots and space showing how a casting ritual is to be done, these string ciphers tend to be personal, or at best systematic only within a given moktar tribe/band. Below
are three Moktar spells that Graymol knows, having been taught by Rum-Tum who is a bit the Moktar genius (Also miraculously 6th level).

Twine of History

Level:1

Duration: 2D4 turns

Range: Touch

The Moktar touches his victim and causes the victim's
memory to first unravel and then tangle like a ball of string. The
victim must save vs. spells or spend 2D4 turns attempting to unwind
his past and untangle the present. Moktars, and other felines save
at -2, while insect type creatures save at +2. This spell will work
on anything with an organic consciousness and at least a modicum of
memory, therefore it won't effect robots, constructs, undead or
slimes.

Bird's Eye

Level: 1

Duration: 1 round

Range: sight

This spell allows the caster to momentarily seize
control of the mind of any flying creature that the caster can see,
and look through it's eyes for up to 30 seconds. The caster and the
target will be dazed (as the flying creature sees through the
caster's eyes for the same length of time) for 1D4 rounds after,
unable to cast spells or fight. The spell can be used to get a
glimpse over long distances, but it is not advisable to cast on
dangerous creatures as it will often enrage them.

Ancestral Claws

Level:1

Duration: 1D6 rounds per level of caster

Range: Self

The caster's claw's become infused with ancestral
spirits, leaving wounds that will not heal as they are magically
infected. Additionally the Moktar's claws become much harder and
longer, and the blessings of the Moktar ancestors allow them to slice
through other dimensions. While the spell is effective the claws
will do (1D10+1 per level of the caster, up to +5) points of damage
per strike and are treated as a +1 weapon for the purposes of hitting
creatures immune to normal weapons.

I think something in ASE lends itself to the inclusion of Wookies (how does one spell that). I've dropped them in my campaign as the mysterious Sasquatch, magical noble savages who lurk in the deep woods and may or may not eat people.

It's an hell of an hassle to make them Chewbacca noises, I mean only one NPC is wookiee in campaign at the moment but after bit of growling it seems to be only one players want to talk and interact with.

That's dramatic roleplaying - sounds fun! I do not make Moktar noises as an unholy feline yowling is beyond me and we have a party member who speaks Moktar. I did the negotiation with Rum Tum via written notes though - that's some verisimilitude.